Maximo – Solid Escape from Tex-Mex Tucked Away in West U

When I first visited Maximo months ago, it was a taco joint that, in terms of authenticity, existed somewhere between Laredo Taquería and Torchy's. It was (mostly) good, but certainly not worth a drive across town. A month or so ago, I heard that Maximo cheffed itself up and overhauled the menu. All this turned out to be true on visit two.

Maximo benefits from its small scale and location at the edge of Southside Place. The hidden gem feel adds to the allure. And, happily, Maximo isn't Tex-Mex. Instead, it's at least inspired by traditional Mexican cooking–dishes compare to those you might find in a Mexico City spot these days.

Dinner started strong — grilled cucumbers felt exotic and were surprisingly good, a heart of palm and strawberry salad was great. Things went downhill (only a bit) from there. Tacos are small (authentic) and pricy (inauthentic). The fish taco was perfectly cooked but nothing to write home about. I was happy to see a Tetela on a menu in Houston, but execution was mid — it was dry and lacked flavor. Chicken and mole was delicious–my only complaint is that the mole wasn't really a mole. But what's in a name, right? Compressed short rib with mole felt more ambitious and exciting — presentation was on point, but the compressed short rib was dry. We're not dessert people, but a banana buñuelo sounded so delicious we couldn't resist. This dish could be outstanding, but turned out just okay because the buñuelo wasn't particularly hot, the banana custard wasn't particularly cold, and the ice cream was frozen so solid that when we tried to eat it, half split off and skidded across the plate.

Service was great and the experience, despite my quibbles, was overall really good. Pricing was fair, and we all left happy. I can see this spot continuing to find its footing and becoming really solid.